Campaign: Plan A
Client: M&S
WPP company: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R,
London
Plan A is UK retailer M&S’s five-year, 100-point plan for tackling the company’s biggest social, ethical and environmental challenges. It is a manifesto in the true sense: a public demonstration of principles and intent. It is hoped that it will lead customers to expect better standards from the whole industry.
Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R (RKCR/Y&R) has been working to promote M&S’s green and ethical credentials since 2006. Plan A is the latest phase of this work. It brings together M&S’s many initiatives into one, striking campaign.
In developing the communications around Plan A, RKCR/Y&R adhered to the following principles:
- Let the consumer in on the argument for ethical behaviour.
- Take a leadership stance.
- Use advertising to raise awareness and build the brand, not to promote products.
The campaign, which includes press, in-store and online advertising, aims to enhance M&S’s reputation for being a responsible business. It is targeted at opinion leaders including investors and the media, as well as consumers and other retailers.
The agency worked with M&S to identify key messages and robust examples in five areas: climate change, waste, sustainable raw materials, fair partnerships and health. A bold, graphic approach was used in order to demonstrate the seriousness of the plan in a simple and straightforward manner.